1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to electronic desktops. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method of selecting an active electronic desktop based on a scheduler or network connection.
2. Description of Related Art
At present, the most commonly used user interface paradigm for computing devices is the windows-icons-desktop-folders metaphor prevalent on computer systems such as the Macintosh or other computer systems running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Under this paradigm, the screen of a computer system simulates an office desktop that contains various objects. The objects are represented as graphical “icons” that can be opened as “windows” on the screen. A user can create an unlimited number of overlapping windows, and the size of the windows can be adjusted dynamically. The user can also hierarchically create and manipulate “folders” that reflect how the information is organized on the computer system's storage devices.
Most users equate a desktop to the screen that is first displayed when a computer system is turned on. Note that here “screen” is used to include items such as icons, background image, screen saver image that are displayed as well as video mode settings etc. used to display the items. Depending on the circumstance and environment (e.g., work) in which the computer system (e.g., a laptop) is being used, some icons, background image, screen saver image etc. may not be appropriate for display. In this case, the user has to delete the offending items from the desktop or replace them with others. However, in some other environments (e.g., away from work) the user may want these items displayed. Presently, a user can only have one desktop be automatically displayed whenever a computer system is turned on.
Thus, what is needed is an apparatus and method that automatically display a particular desktop based on the environment in which the computer system is being used.